Question

read the excerpt from act ii, scene i of julius caesar. then answer the question that follows. decius. never fear that. if he be so resolved, i can oersway him. for he loves to hear that unicorns may be betrayed with trees, and bears with glasses, elephants with holes, lions with toils, and men with flatterers. but when i tell him he hates flatterers, he says he does, being then most flattered. let me work. for i can give his humor the true bent, and i will bring him to the capitol. which of the following universal themes is most present in these lines from the play? honor is the most valuable of attributes power has the ability to corrupt and ruin those it touches things arent always what they seem words have the power to move mountains

Explanation:

To determine the universal theme, we analyze each option:

• "Honor is the most valuable of attributes": The excerpt focuses on manipulating Caesar via flattery, not honor. Eliminate.
• "Power has the ability to corrupt and ruin those it touches": The excerpt is about deception to get Caesar to the Capitol, not power's corrupting nature. Eliminate.
• "Things aren't always what they seem": Decius plans to flatter Caesar (telling him he hates flatterers while intending to flatter) to deceive him, showing appearances differ from reality. This matches.
• "Words have the power to move mountains": The excerpt uses flattery as a tactic, but the main theme isn't about words' power to achieve great feats. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. Things aren't always what they seem (assuming option C is "Things aren't always what they seem" based on the options provided; if the option labels differ, adjust accordingly, e.g., if the third option is labeled as "Things aren't always what they seem", then the answer is that option with its label and text).